The Wild Bunch (4½ Stars)

It ain't like it used to be, but it'll do.

This is a film set in the last days of the American western era. The exact year isn't specified, but it could be as late as 1916. A group of ageing outlaws wants to make one last big job before retiring, while trying to hold on to the values of the previous century. Friends stick together no matter what happens, and a man's word is his bond. But times are changing. They witness their first motor car in the Mexican desert, and they discover an amazing new invention called a machine gun that can fire faster than any of their pistols. Is it still possible in these changing times to hold up a train?

Many people call this the best western ever made. It only just qualifies as a western. I think of it as a post-western film. Whatever it is, it's a memorable film that's worth watching.